Tadias Magazine

By Tadias Staff
Published: Monday, March 24, 2008

New York (Tadias) – The Queen of Sheba Ethiopian restaurant in New York was featured at the first Choice Eats tasting event organized by The Village Voice, the nation’s first and largest alternative newsweekly. The event took place on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at the historic Puck Building in Manhattan.

Queen of Sheba Ethiopian restaurant was one of thirty-three favorite restaurants of Voice food critic Robert Sietsema, author of Secret New York. Sietsema has reviewed more than 2,000 restaurants in the last 14 years and this year’s Choice Eats cover samples from all corners of the world.

Among those dishing out delicious and eclectic cuisine was Philipos Mengistu, owner and Executive Chef of Queen of Sheba, and his wife, Sara. For the event, they prepared injera rolls with fillings of either spicy lentil or beef sauces. Eager tasters waited patiently in rows to pick up the wraps. In it’s description of the Queen of Sheba restaurant, the event publication wrote: “New York finally has its own Queen of Sheba, providing intriguing and sometimes fiery spice combinations.”

More than a thousand foodies packed the Puck Building for a tasting extravaganza, according to The Village Voice.

Tadias was there with a camera. Here are hot shots from the event.

Above: Philipos Mengistu, Sara, and Belaynesh Teshale (the cook
at Queen of Sheba) prepare for the event at the Puck Building in Manhattan.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008. New York. (Photo by Liben Eabisa / Tadias Magazine).

Above: Eager tasters waited patiently in rows to pick up the wraps.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008. New York. (Photo by Liben Eabisa / Tadias Magazine).

Above: Mickey Dread and Tseday Alehegn on the background. At the Puck
Building, Tuesday, March 11, 2008. New York. (Photo by Liben Eabisa).

Above: The event sampled food from all corners of the world. At the Puck Building,
Tuesday, March 11, 2008. New York. (Photo by Liben Eabisa / Tadias Magazine).

Restaurants from Brooklyn, Manhattan, The Bronx and Queens where featured.
At the Puck Building, Tuesday, March 11, 2008. New York.
(Photo by Liben Eabisa / Tadias Magazine).

Above: Philipos Mengistu, Sara, and Belaynesh Teshale (the cook at Queen of Sheba).
At the Puck Building, Tuesday, March 11, 2008. New York.
(Photo by Liben Eabisa / Tadias Magazine).

Other culinary delights hailed from The Dominican Republic, South Africa, Belgium, and Australia. For a complete list of participants at the VillageVoice’s Choice Eats event you may visit their website at: www.choice-eats.com.